Hogwarts magic is justice

Chapter 36 Snape must not get the Philosopher's Stone

As time passed, after more than ten days of morning practice, the little witch finally learned some rules. For example, never try to high-five the Whomping Willow like Owen did, because anyone else who tried to touch the Whomping Willow, except for Owen, would be hung up by it.

"Miss Hermione..."

Owen stood with his hands on his hips, looking at the little witch hanging upside down. There was no mockery in his smile, only advice: "Don't do this again, Mr. Liu. Can you put her down? Please believe me, she meant no harm. She just wants to be your friend, like I do."

Amazingly, the Whomping Willow actually put the little witch down, then used its tender branches to tidy up Owen's somewhat disheveled clothes, and finally swept them across his face.

Irving smiled broadly: "Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

The little witch started her morning run again, but she pouted as she ran: "Everyone says you're very popular in the castle, but as far as I'm concerned, everyone in Hogwarts is your friend."

Owen chuckled, "That's not true. The eight-eyed giant spiders in the Forbidden Forest, and the centaurs, don't like me."

Owen wasn't too concerned about this. Back then, in order to make a potion, he went to find the giant spiders, just to get some of their venom, but they refused to give it to him. So Owen had to get it himself. Then the giant spiders multiplied, and naturally, he got more and more venom.

As for the centaurs, that's a bit baffling, because Owen hasn't seen any centaurs yet. He was stopped by them with arrows when he went to gather herbs.

This kind of "you shoot me an arrow, I return a spell" dynamic should be a give-and-take, shouldn't it?

Why are they allowed to shoot arrows at me, and then they get upset when I retaliate with a Fiery Curse?

Irving believed that the centaurs were petty and that they didn't like him, and he didn't like them either!

Classes, breaks, meals.

Just as they were having lunch, Harry and Ron showed up. Ron looked a little awkward, while Harry looked worried: "Owen, we need your help. I know what Snape wants now—the Philosopher's Stone!"

Philosopher's stone?

Owen casually touched his stomach, then frowned and looked at the two of them, saying, "Professor Snape wants the Philosopher's Stone? Do you know what he wants to do with it?"

"Of course it's turning lead into gold!" Ron said confidently. "He's definitely doing this to amass wealth so he can help the mysterious man make a comeback!"

Owen laughed: "You know about Felix Felicis, right? There are no more than twenty people in the whole world who can make this lucky potion, and in England, there are no more than five. Professor Snape is one of them. If he really wanted money, he wouldn't need the Philosopher's Stone at all. Also, do you know how much money you wasted in Potions class? And all of that was managed by Professor Snape. Did he ask you for any compensation? So, for money... that reason doesn't hold water with me."

To doubt that a Potions Master is short of money is to doubt his skill level. If Professor Snape found out, Ron would be furious enough to be expelled from the university.

"Is it possible that it's for immortality?" Harry asked. "Isn't the Philosopher's Stone supposed to be used to make an elixir of life?"

"Mr. Harry..." Owen put down his chopsticks and bowl. "Your description is incorrect. The Philosopher's Stone doesn't create an elixir of immortality, but rather a potion to extend lifespan. I studied under Master Nicol for a period of time, and I can tell you with certainty that this potion can only prolong life, but it won't make people ageless..."

Thinking of Nicolas Flamel, Owen missed the old man a little, wondering how he was doing or what new and interesting things he had come up with.

How about we go visit those old wizards this summer vacation? They're all elderly people left behind in rural areas and need care.

Seeing that they couldn't persuade Owen, Harry and Ron left. They still hadn't given up and decided to use their own power to protect the Philosopher's Stone and prevent it from falling into Snape's hands.

Hermione didn't keep up. If we set aside our friendship and look at it with a clear head, we can see many flaws in this.

Why is the Philosopher's Stone at school?

It's been in the hands of Master Nicolas Flamel for hundreds of years and has never been taken away by anyone. What's wrong? Is it not possible this year?

What was Snape's status at school?

Potions Master, Potions Professor, Head of Slytherin—if he hadn't gained Dumbledore's trust, he would never have reached his current position.

Another point is the speech given at the beginning of the semester. He specifically warned about the danger on the fourth floor, but did not explain the source of the danger, which is not in line with the style of a school principal.

Of course, now they know that there's a Philosopher's Stone guarded by Cerberus on the fourth floor...

What made Hermione a little awkward was that Gryffindor had so many "brave" little wizards. Putting aside others, why hadn't Ron's twin brothers ever been to the fourth floor yet?

Is it that they don't want to, or that they can't?

Hermione had secretly inquired about the fact that Cerberus was on the fourth floor of the school, and no one knew about it except for those who had seen it with their own eyes.

This is not normal!

In terms of magical skill, no matter how confident she was, she had to admit that the upperclassmen were significantly stronger.

The little witch became increasingly confused, and finally, she instinctively went to Owen, wanting an answer.

Irving didn't say anything, he just gave her a small shovel...

At first, Hermione didn't quite understand, until she, Harry, and Ron entered the room on the fourth floor again and were blocked by Cerberus...

Fluffy has a very keen sense of smell. Just as it was about to bark, it suddenly smelled a familiar scent. So, it pushed the two little boys aside, then sniffed the little witch twice. Hermione instinctively took out the little shovel...

"Woof woof!"

"Woof~~Woof!"

"Ha ha……"

The three-headed dog instantly transformed into a docile puppy. The middle head gently nudged the little witch's hand with its head, and then helped them open the hidden compartment that had been guarding them, indicating that they could pass through.

Hermione was completely dumbfounded!

Harry and Ron breathed a huge sigh of relief: "Hermione, what kind of magical artifact is this shovel? Can it control Fluffy?"

"No, Owen gave it to me. I've seen him use this shovel to dig for herbs..."

It's Owen again. Ron didn't want to discuss this name that he hated and feared at this time: "Alright, we need to speed things up. We can't let Snape get the Philosopher's Stone."

After saying that, the three of them jumped down one after another...

After they left, Dumbledore and Owen appeared in the room. The old man chuckled, "Ah, Gryffindor's courage, no matter how many times I see it, it's still so exciting. Owen, what do you say?"

Owen walked over to Lou Williams, stroked each of the three dogs' heads five times, and said with a somewhat unreadable expression, "Sir, I think it's still necessary to scout ahead before jumping. One Illumination Charm should suffice, but they..."

Dumbledore laughed again: "That's courage!"

"If what's below isn't Devil Vines, but Bitter Cabbage, or some other carnivorous plant, wouldn't that courage kill them even faster? Not every place is as safe and controllable as Hogwarts."

Putting everything else aside, just imagine if you replaced the devil vines below with your own Miloff, the little wizards wouldn't even have a chance to cast a spell; they would be strangled instantly.

Dumbledore stopped laughing: "My dear, don't say things that upset this old man. When you become the headmaster, you'll understand my good intentions. Let's go, let's continue."